Two Cambodian migrant workers died and more than a dozen were injured in Thailand on Friday when the truck they were travelling in hit another truck head-on.

Chen Pesith, deputy director of the Cambodia-Thai Border Relations Office, said two Cambodian workers – Seng Chhaty, 28, and 34-year-old Mouch Sarmon – died in the truck accident, and as many as 20 were injured.

“Eight people were seriously injured and 12 had only minor injuries. Now they are being treated at a Thai hospital,” Pesith said yesterday.

The incident took place in Thailand’s Chanthaburi province, in Soi Dao district, with Pesith adding that the workers worked on fruit orchards.

The Bangkok Post reported that Sakda Sea Lao, the driver of their pickup truck, was one of the injured as well. An unidentified driver from the oncoming truck was also found injured and trapped in the wreckage. However, the Bangkok Post pegged the total number of injured at 18.

The Thai newspaper also reported that the workers were headed to Soi Dao district to renew their worker permits at a border checkpoint.

While truck accidents involving Cambodian garment workers travelling domestically is common, rights group Adhoc’s Sam Chankea said many migrant workers used similarly dangerous transport to get to-and-from the border.

“They pack all the workers in small cars and sometimes the drivers drive at very high speeds,” he said. “I think the government should create jobs for them [here] rather them let them risk their lives.”